The present invention relates in general to an upwardly projecting styling accessory bar assembly, hereinafter frequently referred to as a show bar or sport bar assembly, to be mounted on pick-up trucks, off-road vehicles and the like, capable of supporting various automotive accessories and being mounted on vehicles of various sizes.
Automotive roll bars and sport bars are pick-up truck or off-road vehicle accessories which have gained considerable popularity recently. Basically, they comprise a wide U-shaped tubular bar system which is attached to the panel sides of the pick-up bed of a pick-up truck, or upper side portions of other styles of off-road vehicles, located rearwardly or just behind the passenger cab. The bar assembly usually spans the width of the cab and projects vertically upwardly to a level approximately at or slightly above the level of the top of the passenger cab, and is usually bolted or welded to the portions of vehicle on which it is mounted. It serves as an appearance accessory as well as a functional roll bar or protective device for the vehicle cab.
Roll bars or sport bars have been manufactured and sold for some time, primarily as off-road accessory attachments for vehicles, and to the best of applicant's knowledge, are available on the market today as "fixed dimension" products individually designed for a specific vehicle type and size. Separate roll bar or sport bar kits of such "fixed dimension" types with different dimensions and/or mounting systems are typically manufactured for different vehicle makes and models, and consequently the supplier is required to stock a large number of different size roll bar or sport bar stocking units. The show bar system of the present invention, in contrast to available fixed dimension designs of numerous sizes, is a single product kit adapted to fit a large variety of pick-up trucks and similar vehicles regardless of the vehicle make, size or model.
An object of the present invention is the provision of the show bar styling accessory for pick-up trucks and the like which can be used with pick-up trucks of a wide variety of sizes, models or makes, wherein the show bar assembly has adjustable width over a large range of adjustments to be custom matched to the bed size of pick-up trucks of many sizes form the full size models to the variety of compact or mini pick-up available on the market. In this way, a single stocking item is available which is easily adjustable to many different vehicles sizes, providing a distinct advantage over built-to-size products This enables realization of valuable simplification and cost saving benefits at all stages in the manufacturing, warehousing, distribution and retailing process.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel show bar styling accessory for pick-up trucks and the like, which is normally available in a basic "double" show bar configuration, but can be readily expanded into a "triple" show bar using standard component parts.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a novel show bar styling accessory assembly for pick-up trucks and the like as described in the preceding paragraphs, wherein a modular accessory mounting system is provided which is movable and expandable, permitting installation by the customer at locations of his choice, facilitating achievement of a custom appearance or custom combination of different accessories.
A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a novel show bar styling accessory assembly for pick-up trucks and the like as described in the preceding paragraphs, wherein a deliberate mechanical tension is produced throughout the bar structure to eliminate or minimize looseness and slack between the component parts, to produce a vibration resistant assembly.
Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention.